Stark State College (Ohio), with assistance from US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, broke ground October 13, 2004, on a $4.4 million fuel cell prototyping center that will position Stark State College as a leader to support the research, development and commercialization of fuel cells. Secretary Abraham also announced over $5 million in hydrogen research grants to Ohio companies and universities while in Canton.
The college also received $780,000 from the National Science Foundation for a Fuel Cell Technology Curriculum Development Project, bringing total funding generated for fuel cell activity on the campus to more than $5.2 million. The 23,000 ft² fuel cell prototyping center, scheduled to open in October 2005, will function as a pre-production facility that will serve as a bridge between research and the marketplace.
The center will enable SOFCo-EFS and other companies involved in fuel cell development to cost-effectively produce prototypes that will lead to successful production and commercialization of fuel cells. In the process, it will provide state-of-the-art laboratories for secondary and postsecondary students to learn first-hand the basics and advantages of emerging power technologies.